IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY," YUKI ONNA" IS "THE LADY OF THE SNOW"; SHE IS A DEITY OF WINTER AND OF BLIZZARDS. SHE IS GREATLY FEARED IN THE REMOTE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS. TO THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES LOST IN BLIZZARDS, STRUGGLING FUTILELY AGAINST THE COLD, SHE CAME, SOOTHING THEM, SINGING TO LULL THEM TO SLEEP, AND THEN BREATHING A DEATHLY COLD BREATH ON THEM. SHE WAS THE SPIRIT OF DEATH BY FREEZING....THE TALL, PALE WOMAN WITH LONG DARK HAIR WHO RIDES THROUGH THE SKIES ON A GREAT WHITE WOLF; SOMETIMES SHE APPEARS IN A LONG WHITE KIMONO. SHE LOOKS SERENE AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE FREEZING. SHE CAN ALSO APPEAR AS A VAPOR, A COLD WIND, AND THE SNOW.

SHE IS THE ESSENCE OF THE KILLING POWER OF SNOW WHO APPEARS TO THE DYING, MAKING THEIR DEATH QUIET AND PAINLESS...AND AFTERWARDS GUIDES THEIR SOUL TO THE UNDERWORLD. FEW SURVIVE ENCOUNTERS WITH "YUKI ONNA", YET ENCOUNTERS WITH HER ARE NOT NECESSARILY FATAL. EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE SHE HELPS THE TRAVELERS IN THE SNOW. SHE MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED A GODDESS OF MERCY FOR SHE APPEARS TO THOSE WHO ARE DOOMED OR ALREADY DYING AND BLESSES THEM WITH A PEACEFUL, QUIET DEATH. SOMETIMES SHE APPEARS AS AN EARTHLY WOMAN, MARRIES AND HAS CHILDREN, BUT SOMETIMES SHE WILL DISAPPEAR IN A WHITE MIST.